Variable Planter Speed Study

In 1995 we cooperated with Emerson Nafziger from the Department of Crop Sciences of the University of Illinois and Howard Brown from Pioneer Hi-Bred International on the effects of planter speed and corn yield. I participated in The study is very simple; plant corn at three, five and seven miles per hour, measure the stand acquired and measure the yield at harvest. We replicated the test three times. I used my combine yield monitor to measure the results. Several other farmers also cooperated, and the test continues this year. Here are the results from 1995, but these are PRELIMINARY based on one years experience.


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Cooperator		Planter Setting		Speed MPH		Yield		Population		Std dev
Kurt Kesler JD Vacuum planter	26,500	3	121.5	29110	2.16
	26,500	5	122.5	29,124	2.42
	26,500	7	120.9	28,392	2.37
		Significance	ns	ns	ns
		CV,%	2.0	3.6	13.7
John Reifsteck Case-IH 900 Planter	28,195	3	114.5	26,461	4.28
	28,195	5	114.5	26,026	4.42
	28,195	7	118.3	25,992	4.66
		Significance	ns	ns	ns
		CV,%	2.6	3.1	11.8
Scott Reifsteck IH 800 Planter
	27,653	3	107.6	31,984	2.37
	27,653	5	107.8	30,908	-2.61
	27,653	7	107.5	29,888	3.04
		Significance	ns	ns	ns
		LSD 0.10		725	.22
		CV,%	2.0	1.7	6.0